Private anniversary
by kirsty2765
Summary: What if Tony's appendix didn't burst and they have a conversation instead ?


**Disclaimer: I'm not the owner of the characters of WTB, I own nothing, no copyright violence intended**

**Private Anniversary**

This is my impression of what could occur if Tony's appendix didn't burst and they have a conversation instead.

Angela and Tony sat down at the little table. A bottle of best champagne stood at hand in the cooler. The room was filled with romantic music and softly gleaming candlelight. They had finished their dinner and were talking quietly. Tony was a little confused to be alone with Angela because their private second anniversary dinner felt a bit like a date.

"Angela, I have to thank you for this anniversary celebration. Not many housekeepers get this kind of treatment from their bosses."

"Tony, you're not exactly as a housekeeper."

"Well, Angela you're not exactly as a boss."

"You've been living here for two years now, what do you think we are… for each other?"

"I don't know, what do you think we are?

"I asked you first."

"Well, we should take this bottle of champagne over to the fireplace and discuss it." Tony saw no way out to skirt around this conversation but why should he? In those last two years he often had the opportunity to observe how easy it could be to talk with Angela about anything. They had a great connection and sometimes an… even greater connection. He took the bottle and the glasses with champagne and they sat down in the armchairs. The pieces of wood crackled in the fireplace and the fiery glow filled the room with a shimmering light. They both were silent for a moment and lost in their own thoughts.

"Angela, first I want to tell you that I'm really happy to live here. I can hardly find the words to tell you how much my life has taken a turn for the better since Sam and I moved to Fairfield. And she has so much fun with her friends and at her school. I'm thankful that you made this possible for us." Tony looked at her and smiled.

"You don't have to be thankful, you earned it yourself. You do so much for Sam and not only for her, you give _us_ so much, especially me. And what you give to us has nothing to do with "working". I'm glad to have you… and of course Sam in my life."

"Yes, we've really become a family; I'd never expected that when Mona told me about a job as a housekeeper in her daughter's house." Tony laughed.

"It was the first time she did something so reasonable." Angela smiled back at him. Conversation with him was always so easy and she trusted Tony right from the beginning. "Although the first months weren't easy for all of us."

"Yes, you were a little uptight at first, but after your fight with Theresa it was much better." He teased her.

"Oh, don't remind me, it's awkward and I'm so ashamed of it. Sometimes I can't believe that we share so many memories." Angela mentioned thoughtfully.

"Like an old couple, hm... I mean…" Tony looked down. It came out without him even thinking about it, as was so often the case.

"Yeah. But maybe it's better to have a friend instead of a husband." Angela paused. "That brings up one question. Could I ask you something?

"You can ask me anything." Tony stared at her. "But first, more champagne? He stood up with the bottle and filled their glasses. When they clinked, they looked deeply in each other's eyes. Oh god, her eyes, those eyes he could see in his sleep. She always talked with her beautiful brown eyes.

His eyes, she thought, those deep dark brown eyes that almost turned black when he was angry. And that were so soft when he looked at her.

"Shouldn't we pull these armchairs away? Maybe we can sit on the carpet, it's more comfortable and you're not so far away." Tony asked her carefully.

"Sure, it's nearer to the fire." They settled down. Angela pulled her knees up. They both stared into the crackling fire shoulder to shoulder.

"What would you ask me?"

"Tony, after Michael came back and later when we were separated again, why did you come back? You had a great new job."

"But I didn't have a family any longer and I missed you… all of you, a lot. And Sam missed Jonathan and you."

"I missed you too… and Sam. It felt so wrong to live with Michael again. I wish I hadn't tried to salvage our marriage. And it felt like I lost a friend after you moved out." Angela admitted more to herself than to him.

"So that is it what we are to each other. Friends?" Tony asked quietly.

"At this time, yes I think so."

Tony nodded in agreement.

"Angela, do you miss him? I mean… he was a nice man." Tony needed to know this. Sometimes it seemed she felt lost without him.

"No, I only felt sorry for Jonathan at first but it doesn't seem to bother him that his father is gone. He has you, Tony, and I'm glad about that. And me … hm, sometimes I feel like a loser because I didn't manage to fix our marriage. I've failed at this. But when you came back I was happy." She stared at the floor completely unable to meet his eyes. For the first time, they talked openly and honestly about very personal matters.

"Sam was so relieved when she had her little brother back. She would never admit it but she really missed him… and you. I never told you but on our first night at Mrs. Abernathy's retirement home, she cried the whole night and I couldn't comfort her. It was like she had lost her mother again." Tony reminded himself of this terrible night. Before this evening, it didn't occur to him that this dinner conversation could become so private and intimate…and to his surprise he didn't feel uneasy.

"Tony, it makes me sad; you should have told me earlier. I blame myself that I didn't prevent Michael from doing this to both of you… and it wasn't worth anything." Angela gently put her hand on his.

"Don't be sad, it's over now and things are great between us…" Tony flushed by the thought of an "us". "Oh, how this sounds… by 'us' I mean of course, all of us." He took her hand in both of his. He loved holding her small hands. "And you've tried everything to work it out, that's all what counts. And at least, Jonathan has his big sister back."

"Sometimes I think it's a little wrong that he gets an older sister. It's not the right chronological order."

"For Sam it is. Of course it is different when the brother you get is already eight years old. I'm sure it's important for a child to witness the pregnancy of its mother and to experience when a new little life grows up in her. "Tony was filled with sad memories now.

"You ever wanted to have more children?"

"I wish I could. I love children. Marie also wanted more but it wasn't meant to be. What about you, Angela, have you ever thought of a baby? I'm sure that pregnancy with Jonathan made you happy."

"Oh, yes, it was the best time of my life. The only thing I hated was that I was on my own the last five months. Michael had vanished in the jungle. I felt ugly and alone the most time. Tony, you've been honest to me from the first day you came into my house and I will be honest with you. Please don't laugh. Sometimes I wish I could have a baby again and my desire is so strong that my uterus is aching. Doesn't that sound ridiculous?"

"No, I can understand you; that's nothing to laugh at. In my case it's my heart that aches. And hey, you could never be ugly; I bet you were beautiful during your pregnancy. But how could he leave you alone? He must have been incredibly insensitive!"

"He just followed his own interests and I got left out of it. So let me ask you… if you meet a woman who you want to marry, do you want more children?

"It's not as easy as it looks. I only can be with a woman who loves my daughter too and who loves me for who I am. And I don't know how to tell you but…" Tony stuttered. "I… I can't imagine my life with another woman right now and I can't imagine splitting this family. When I shut my eyes, the only thing I see is my current family- Sam, Jonathan, Mona and… you. I guess, that means no baby in the near future."

"I know exactly what you mean; I can't imagine my life with another man or Jonathan with another father. You're like a father to him. And a man who can accept that I am successful in my business is hard to find. So I guess, no baby for me either."

They were both silent now, wondering that they both had the same opinions about their family life. He still held her hands in his and it felt so right and familiar. But had he said too much or maybe not enough? Secretly, he knew precisely who could be the mother of his child. He hadn't expected to hear Angela express her sadness at not having more children.

"So are we more than friends right now?" He closed the small distance between them with a move towards her.

"Maybe a little more on the way to … whatever." Sitting so close to him accelerated her heartbeat. She was flustered and afraid. She thought of fleeing but wanted to stay at the same time. But when is the right time?

"It's really late, I think we should go to bed, Tony. Thank you; it was a wonderful evening for me."

She slowly took her hands out of his and for a moment Tony was disappointed that the night was almost over.

"I have to thank _you_. It was my pleasure." They both stood up and were silent a moment, not wanting to let go of each other.

"So, Angela, you might think I'm a little silly but may I kiss my boss good night?" He asked her nervously. As though by a miracle, she nodded.

"You may."

Tony pulled her close to him and gently pressed his lips against hers. It was only a light tender kiss but for a moment both felt a rising heat. They took a step back; both surprised by the thrill that kiss gave them. Angela turned towards the stairs. Already on the second step, Tony held her back.

"Angela, one more thing…"

"What, Tony?"

"On my first night, I said something stupid to you…"

"There were a lot of stupid things you did that night. You almost smacked my date with your baseball bat." Angela grinned. "But you also gave me a great advice that I've never regretted following."

"You haven't?" He smiled. "But that's not what I meant…"

"So what did you mean?"

"I said that I would never do something stupid like sleeping with my employer." He looked into her eyes noticing that she held her breath.

"Maybe you were a little hasty that night." She gazed back with a shy smile, uncertain if that was a good reply. "Tony, where will this all lead us?"

"At this moment, I truly don't know." They exchanged glances again and Tony saw a mild disappointment in her chocolate brown eyes. "But maybe…,"he looked up to the hallway. "Maybe a day will come and we'll climb up the stairs together."

When their eyes met again, he saw that the disappointment had flown away.


End file.
